Roey Ahram Second line march for Ray Deter on Monday.

Linus Gelber Ray Deter.

As we posted earlier, Ray Deter, East Village resident and owner of d.b.a. bar, died July 3 after he was struck by a car while cycling. Monday, a New Orleans style second line paraded from the bar to his home, celebrating his life.

Yesterday, family and friends gathered for his memorial service at the New York City Marble Cemetery. Several have shared their memories of Mr. Deter’s work and life. Kim Davis, The Local’s associate editor, did not know Mr. Deter personally but respected his work, posting:

“It’s worth noting, however, the achievement of establishing an unassuming saloon on First Avenue as the premier destination for beer and whisky/bourbon connoisseurs in the city, if not the country. Preceding the current fascination with craft beers, d.b.a. has long offered an almost absurdly extensive list of brews.

I am sure Mr Deter was proud, and rightly so, of this achievement, and what a great pity it is that his enjoyment of it has been cut so tragically short.”

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When Paul and Monica Shay were gunned down July 2 in their country home in Montgomery County, Pa., it quickly became clear to those who knew the couple that their loss would be felt especially deep in the East Village.

What longtime friends remember most about the Shays — who lived on East 10th Street — is their roles as leaders in the fight for housing, which in the 1980’s and 90’s included frequent clashes with the police during demonstrations for the rights of squatters in and around Tompkins Square Park.

“There’s a short list of people who when they say, ‘let’s do something,’ they mean they’re going to do it,” said Seth Tobocman, an activist artist and friend of the Shays.

“Kathryn and Paul were always on that list,” he continued, referring to Ms. Shay by her nickname.

Since the shooting, crowds of friends and neighbors have twice gathered publicly to remember the Shays, most recently July 9 in Tompkins Square Park.

Ms. Shay died July 7, while Mr. Shay remains hospitalized and in critical condition. Three other victims include Mr. Shay’s nephew Joseph Shay, the younger Mr. Shay’s girlfriend Kathryn Erdmann, and her 2-year-old son Gregory Erdmann. Ms. Erdmann and the elder Mr. Shay are the lone survivors.
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Michael Natale

Michael Natale

Good morning, East Village.

Or rather bonjour. Today is Bastille Day and Nearsay offers suggestions for places to dine on French food to commemorate the storming of the Bastille, including the East Village’s Flea Market Cafe. Other East Village venues share in the festivities through French Restaurant Week.

Last night’s brief but intense storm knocked down a light pole and temporary traffic light, EV Grieve reported. Community contributor Michael Natale shared an image of the downed pole, the smaller photo above, with The Local’s Flickr group. But when the rain lifted, onlookers were treated to a stunning rainbow stretched across the sky. Mr. Natale’s image of the rainbow is at top. Bowery Boogie has more pictures of the scene here.

The storm brought cooler temperatures just in time for tonight’s outdoor showing of “The Warriors,” a 1979 action film on New York gangs. The film is part of the Epix free movie series in Tompkins Square Park.

In 11 days, changes in the laws that regulate how much your landlord can charge in rent per month will begin to take effect.

However, the changes are not exactly what local tenant advocacy groups wanted. Many groups, including the Cooper Square Committee, Real Rent Reform, Tenants and Neighbors and the Good Old Lower East Side were hoping state legislators would eliminate the rent laws’ vacancy decontrol, which allows a landlord who renovates a unit to charge more in rent per month to a new tenant after the previous vacates the unit. Instead, vacancy decontrol remains in the law.

The renewed laws, which were passed in conjunction with but overshadowed by the passage of same-sex marriage in New York, affect the residents of 1 million rent-regulated apartments across the state. It also affects the landlords of those buildings.

In the video above, The Local’s Khristopher J. Brooks offers a breakdown of some of the most significant changes.

Laura E. Lee Jack’s, 101 Second Ave.

Jack’s Luxury Oyster Bar, at 101 Second Avenue, is in the East Village, but not of the East Village. Jack’s introduces itself with the false modesty of a neighborhood speakeasy: The plain white door bears no sign, and the chief adornment of the facade is the air conditioner’s ventilation unit. The word “Luxury” is a sly joke as it applies to décor; it is meant to be taken with deadly seriousness, however, when it comes to food.

Jack’s has the most refined cuisine in the East Village, save for Degustation, around the corner on East 5th and also owned by restauranteur Jack Lamb, and perhaps also David Chang’s several Momofuku restaurants. The format at Jack’s, as at Degustation, is small-scale plates, though Jack’s is surely one of the city’s few seafood tapas places. The combination of small plates and a small menu means that a party of four can eat practically everything Jack’s serves, though a sounder approach might be to order two or three each of five or so dishes.

My wife and I invited our friends Roberta and Jerry, who say proudly that they never eat out. Jack’s, consequently, blew their minds. The first dish to arrive was the roasted oysters, which are served in their shell on a bed of peppercorns in a tureen, thus creating the momentary illusion that you have much more to eat than in fact you do. The oysters are made with chorizo, setting up a glorious battle between plump brininess and sharp smokiness. But there was much more. “I just got a whiff of something,” Jerry said. “I think it’s some kind of cheese.” Read more…

Urmila Ramakrishnan

Good morning, East Village.

Last night, the sun aligned with the east-west streets at dusk, giving views of what is dubbed Manhattanhenge. The twice-a-year event only lasts about half an hour, but provides a look at the sun and the city that the Village Voice calls “magical.”  But don’t worry if you missed last night because the best viewing is this evening.

About 40 Con Ed customers who live near Great Jones Street were without lights Tuesday night during a power outage, according to the Con Ed site, which reports that power was restored this morning.

The renovations of Extra Place are nearing completion, with a recent installation of streetlights, EV Grieve noted.

Check back later today for James Traub’s exploration of Jack’s Luxury Oyster Bar and a video report by Khristopher J. Brooks on the upcoming changes to rent laws.

Emily Armstrong Toilets have been installed at the BMW Guggenheim Lab on First Street.

“Rat City” is gone, and now the lot at First Street and First Avenue looks ready to host humans.

An eagle-eyed local passed along photos of new toilets being installed last Thursday at the BMW Guggenheim Lab, which will open on August 3.

“I thought this was a sophomoric art installation, but it’s the real thing,” said Emily Armstrong, who snapped the photos.

In an effort to head off any concerns about unwanted odors, a spokeswoman for the elaborate development at First Avenue and First Street said the toilets would be carefully maintained.

“The bathrooms at the BMW Guggenheim Lab are built with special temporary toilets equipped with water tanks,” said Lauren Van Natten, a spokeswoman for the Guggenheim. “They will be serviced at least once a day.”

Trevor Stahelski, the owner of a building on First Street that is near the high-tech outhouse facing Houston Street, said that the bathrooms were a small price to pay, given what used to be there.

“It’s better than a rat-infested dirt lot. It was just disgusting before,” Mr. Stahelski said. “It’s not the most optimal thing, but I still support it — it won’t be there forever.”

Stephen Rex Brown The shed housing the toilets.

Indeed, the BMW Guggenheim Lab will be relatively short-lived; it closes Oct. 16.

During that time, the space will host various events “meant to inspire innovative ideas for urban life,” according to the project’s website. One event on Aug. 6 will encourage visitors to “find and collect sounds around the city, then learn how to remix them into audio tracks.”

Though one prominent local expressed skepticism about the East Village serving as the headquarters of an “urban experiment,” no one has, of yet, lamented the eviction of the hoards of rodents that for years called the space home.

As we noted earlier, the owners of a proposed business at 200 Avenue A — the former home of the oft-criticized Superdive — are speaking before the State Liquor Authority today. City Councilwoman Rosie Mendez and members of Community Board 3 have both submitted formal letters in opposition to a liquor license for the business, which the applicant says will be an art gallery and restaurant. “The application also includes plans for a full service bar with 12 seats, live acoustic music and a DJ,” Ms. Mendez writes. “It appears that the gallery is incidental to a full service nightlife establishment.”
— Stephen Rex Brown

Joshua Davis About 150 people turned out for a Second Line tribute to Ray Deter.

Joshua Davis

Joshua Davis

Roey Ahram

A trumpet sounded. A trombone rose. And in a mix of mourning and celebration, dozens of feet danced up First Avenue Monday night in a true New Orleans tradition — a Second Line parade honoring the life of Ray Deter, owner of d.b.a. bar who died July 3, six days after he was struck by a car while cycling.

About 150 people turned out for the march, which wove from the bar on First Avenue through the East Village and ended at Mr. Deter’s Sixth Street apartment. The procession spilled out from the sidewalks and blocked traffic for several blocks. Led by musicians, the crowd sang songs, waved umbrellas and lit candles in memory of their friend.

Linnzi Zaorski, a jazz singer, offered an a capella song in memory of her friend as the parade paused in front of the New York City Marble Cemetery where Mr. Deter’s memorial service will be held on Wednesday. Then she looked up, smiled and blew a kiss towards the sky. “We love you, Ray,” she said, as the brass music began again.

Sounds of the Second Line

The Local’s Laura E. Lee and Chelsia Rose Marcius share their video of Monday night’s Second Line parade honoring Ray Deter.

Meghan Keneally Thomas Balsley at Monday’s meeting.

Members of Community Board 3 voted unanimously Monday night to oppose plans for an outdoor plaza at the new 51 Astor Place because of questions about whether the design provides enough space for the public and fits aesthetically with the surrounding neighborhood.

The board’s Planning and Land Use committee said that it will not endorse the plaza project unless changes are made that take into account the historic nature of the area around 51 Astor and other design issues, including the placement of benches.

Work is set to begin in the next few days, and the construction of the mixed-use commercial tower is set to last for 17 months.

After listening to a presentation by Thomas Balsley, the designer in charge of planning the outdoor space that will accompany the new building on Astor Place, members of the public were given a chance to address the board.

Speakers, many of whom were opposed to the design, raised a range of issues about the project from its look and aesthetics to what some said was its failure to account for the historic nature of the district.

“It’s like it’s from some other city,” said Marilyn Appleberg, who was a part of the group that discussed the initial plans for the building when they were approved in 2002. “I was really disappointed.”

A final discussion on the plaza project will occur at the full community board meeting on July 26.

Adrian Fussell

Good morning, East Village.

And welcome to the hottest day of the week. City cooling centers are open today in the East Village. Avoid the heat at the Ottendorfer library, Sirovech Senior Center, John Paul II Friendship Center or Tompkins Square library. Search for other locations here.

The heat added to the authenticity of the New Orleans-style second line march last night in remembrance of Ray Deter. We’ll have a full report on the tribute to Mr. Deter later today.

Proponents of a new art and restaurant space at 200 Avenue A, the former site of Superdive,  will present their application for a liquor license to the State Liquor Authority at 11 this morning, EV Grieve reported. The request follows the refusals of Community Board 3 to lend their support to the application.

The 9/11 memorial ticket reservation system went live yesterday and Gothamist reported the site received tremendous traffic in the first few hours.  The memorial at the World Trade site will initially open on Sept. 11 — the 10-year anniversary of the tragedy — but only to family members of victims. Members of the public can obtain free, timed-entry passes through the online system for visits beginning Sept. 12, but tickets are already sold out for Sept. 12, 13, and the following weekend. A limited number of passes will be distributed in-person each day as well.

With temperatures soaring to the mid-90’s today and tomorrow, the National Weather Service has issued a heat advisory for New York City. Residents can avoid the extreme heat in one of the city’s cooling centers, which will be open tomorrow, an Office of Emergency Management spokesman said. After the official announcement, the list of center locations will be available here or by calling 311. — Laura E. Lee

Meghan Keneally The logo for Restaurant Week.

The economics behind Restaurant Week means that a surprisingly small group of East Village restaurants are participating in the program.

The city-wide promotion, which runs for two weeks starting Monday, offers a prix fixe menu for $24.07 at lunch and $35 for dinner, the idea being that diners have the chance to get fancy meals at a lower cost. Because the majority of the East Village’s restaurants are less expensive already, many don’t see the need to participate.

“Our price point is extremely low — everything here is under $12 — so we don’t really fit the restaurant week model,” said Craig Koenig, one of the partners at Whitman’s restaurant on East 9th Street who is not involved in the promotion.

Yerba Buena, a Latin restaurant on Avenue A, is one of the five restaurants in the East Village that is offering Restaurant Week menus.

Participation in the East Village is low “because the restaurants are very small and a lot of people like to hit the really big places, like Gramercy Tavern and Nobu,” said Angel Deleon, the manager of Yerba Buena. “Those places may not give you the same value because the portions are small.”
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Tim Schreier

Good morning, East Village.

We begin the week on a somber note. The neighborhood paused in remembrance Saturday night, as friends gathered for a vigil in honor of Monica Shay, an East Village resident and Pratt Institute professor who was killed last week. The event turned into a protest of sorts as participants celebrated Ms. Shay’s longtime community activism. Ms. Shay’s nephew and a toddler were also killed in the shooting. Ms. Shay’s husband and another victim in the shooting remain in critical condition.

Two other members of our community will be celebrated and remembered tonight. Friends and family will gather in Queens for a visitation for Dominique Philbert, who died last week. Mr. Philbert worked with his father, George, at Bikes by George on Fourth Street.

In traditional New Orleans fashion, friends of Ray Deter, the d.b.a. bar owner who died from injuries sustained in a biking accident, will take part in a second line funeral march beginning at 7 tonight — a fitting tribute for Mr. Deter who also owned two bars in the Big Easy.

Roey Ahram on finding picture-taking opportunities in unlikely places.

“From a photographic perspective, New York City is like a few other places I’ve been. The photographic icons have already been established — the Statue of Liberty, Empire State Building, Brooklyn Bridge. But what I love about taking pictures in New York, particularly in the East Village and Lower East Side is the richness and beauty in the parking lots, storefronts, sidewalks, and people — each are icons in their own right.”
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